Tearing strip key



E. OJTHEN 2,899,101 TEARING STRIP KEY Filed Aug. 9, 1957 Aug. 11, 1959 ihl;

INVENTOR- EDWARD 0. THEN sigma/a. W KM ATTORNEYS United States Patent TEARING STRIP KEY Application August 9, 1957, Serial No. 677,334

' 9 Claims. (Cl. 220-52 The present invention relates to a key for removing a tear-strip from cans or containers and has particular reference to strip gripping and guiding devices on the key.

An object of the instant invention is the provision of a key that guides the tear-strip as it is removed from the container and wound up in a coil on the key shank and thereby keeps the coil as it builds up in a properly aligned relation and thus tends to facilitateremoval of the strip and protect the user against injury by the strip.

, Another object is to provide such a key which embodies means for gripping the strip to facilitate proper removal of the strip from the container.

Another object is to provide such a key that can be readily and economically manufactured from a single strand of stiif wire and in one piece so as. to avoid assembly of loose pieces to produce the key.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the upper end of a tear-strip container carrying an opening key embodying the instant invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view showing the key applied to the container and in an advanced position during the removal of the strip;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 in Fig. 2, at the start of a tearing-strip removing operation;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified form of the key; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged elevational views of the lower end of the key shown in Fig. 2, the views showing further modified forms of the invention.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention, the drawing discloses a novel key A (Fig. 1) for opening a sealed sheet metal can or container B comprising a tubular body C having top and bottom end members D permanently secured thereto by suitable end seams E. The body C is provided with an encircling tearstrip F, preferably disposed adjacent the top of the container and adapted to be torn out to open the container. The tear-strip F preferably is defined by a pair of spaced and parallel score lines or otherwise weakened areas G to facilitate tearing out of the strip. A tongue H formed on one end of the tear-strip F preferably is provided to start the tearing action.

The key A is made in one piece from a single strand of stiif wire and comprises a long straight shank 21 and a short straight shank 22 disposed adjacent the lower portion of the long shank 21 (Fig. 2) in spaced and parallel relation thereto, the space between the shanks being just sufiicient to admit the tongue H for gripping the tongue to start the removal of the tear-strip F when the ice key is applied to the container. The immediately adjacent portions of the two shanks 21, 22 for a distance along their lengths substantially equal to the width of the tear-strip F, are cut away in triangular fashion to provide adjacently opposed sharp edged sections or teeth 23 (Fig. 4) which constitute gripper elements for gripping the tongue H between them as mentioned above.

The space between the two shanks 21, 22 preferably is maintained by a flattened tab or lug 25 (Fig. 2) which is formed on the upper terminal-end of the short shank 22 and which engages against the side of the long shank 21 to keep the shanks separated. In a modified form of the invention as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the upper end of the short shank 22 is formed with an inwardly bent node 26 which engages against the side of the long shank 21 to maintain the space between the two shanks.

At one end, the long shank 21 preferably is provided with a flat loop handle 28 for turning the key when it is applied to the container to wind up the tear-strip F on the shanks 21, 22 as it is removed from the container body C. The side of the handle 28, adjacent the long shank 21 preferably is straight and substantially coextensive with the top edge of the container end seam B so as to ride or have a riding engagement on the seam when the key is applied to the container as shown in Fig. 2, to locate and maintain the gripper elements 23 directly opposite the tear-strip F to facilitate proper removal of the strip when the key is applied to and rotated on the container. The key handle or head 28 thus constitutes a locating projection on the key.

At the lower ends (Fig. 2), immediately below the gripper element 23, the two shanks 21, 22 are connected together, preferably by an open loop comprising an outer leg 31 which extends laterally from the long shank 21 at right angles thereto and at its outerend merges, by way of a smooth curved section 32, into a substantially parallel and vertically aligned inner leg 33 which con meets with the lower end of the short shank 22 substantially at right angles thereto. The inner leg 33 constitutes a guide projection and is disposed in such a relation to the gripper elements 23 as to be adjacent the lower edge of the tear-strip as the latter is torn from the container and to serve as a guide for the strip and thereby insure the proper winding up of the strip on the shanks 21, 22 in proper coil formation without injury to the operator of the key.

In a modified form of the invention, as disclosed in Fig. 5 the outer leg 31 of the shank connecting loop extends beyond the long shank 21 in a direction op posite to that of the guide projection 33 for a distance substantially equal to the length of the guide projection 33 and merges by way of a curved section 34 into an additional inner leg 35 connected to the lower end of the long shank 21 at right angles thereto. This additional inner leg 35 is in the same plane as the guide projection 33 and extends from the long shank 21 in an opposed direction and constitutes an additional cooperating guide projection for guiding the tear-strip F as it is removed from the container.

As a further modification of the two forms of the key A shown in Figs. 2 and 5, an inner guide lug or projection 37 (Figs. 6 and 7) is provided in spaced relation to the outer guide projection 33 so as to guide the tearstrip F along both opposed edges thereof as the strip is removed from the container. For this purpose the inner and outer guide projections 37, 33 are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of the tear-strip F. The inner guide projection 37 preferably is formed on the upper end of the short shank 22 as an extension of the spacer node 26. This guide projection 37 extends out laterally from the short shank 22 preferably at right angles thereto, in the same direction as the outer guide projection 33 and is substantially the same length as the outer projection 33.

The length of all of the guide projections 33, 35, 37 preferably are less than the radial span or length of the loop handle 28 of the key so as to prevent interference with the riding engagement of the handle on the container enclseam E.

In order to secure the key A to the container B for shipment andusetherewith a break-off tab 39 (Fig. 1) preferably is provided on the terminal end of the loop handle 28. This tab preferably is flattened to facilitate welding or soldering of the tab tothe top D of the container and is also connected to the loop handle Iby a score line or other weakened area to facilitate breaking of the key from the tab in the usual manner for use in removing the tear-strip F.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A key for removing a tear-strip from a container, comprising a pair of straight shanks disposed in spaced parallel relation for the reception therebetween of a tongue end of said tear-strip to facilitate winding of said strip in a coil onto said shanks, a protuberance extending laterally from one of said straight shanks engaging against the other shank to hold the shanks in said spaced parallel relation, and a guiding projection connecting said shanks and extending laterally from and normal to at least one of said shanks for retaining said wound-up strip in coil formation on said shank.

2. A key of the character defined in claim 1 wherein said shanks are provided with integral complementary portions of substantially triangular cross-section for gripping the end of the tear-strip received therebetween.

3. A key of the character defined in claim 1 wherein said protuberance comprises a flattened tab on the terminal end of one of said shanks.

4. A key of the character defined in claim 1 wherein said protuberance comprises a right angularly disposed bent portion of one of said shanks.

5. A key of the character defined in claim 1 wherein a second similar guiding projection on said one shank is disposed in spaced parallel relation to said first mentioned guiding projection for guiding and holding said strip coil between said guiding projections.

6. A key for removing a tear-strip from a container, comprising a pair of shanks disposed in adjacent spaced relation for the reception therebetween of a tongue endof said tear strip to facilitate winding of said strip in a coil onto said shanks, and a guiding projection connecting said shanks and extending laterally from at least one of said shanks for retaining said wound-up strip in coil formation on said shank, said guiding projection comprising a loop portion having lateral legs extending in the same direction from said shanks.

7. A key of the character defined in claim 6 wherein said loop portion comprises lateral legs extending in opposite directions from said shanks to provide two oppositely disposed guiding projections.

8. A key for removing a tear-strip from a container, comprising a pair of shanks disposed in adjacent spaced relation for the reception therebetween of a tongue end of said tear strip to facilitate winding of said strip in a coil onto said shanks, a guiding projection connecting said shanks and extending laterally from at least one of said shanks for retaining said wound-up strip in coil formation on said shank, and a second guiding projection disposed in spaced relation to said first mentioned guiding projection on said one shank for guiding said coil between them, both of said guiding projections extending laterally from the same shank.

9. A key of the character defined in claim 8 wherein a third guiding projection extends laterally from the other of said shanks and in an opposed direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,670,150 Hermani May 15, 1928 1,963,007 Week June 12, 1934 2,326,191 Zabler Aug. 10, 1943v 2,552,961 Grossenbach May 15, 1951 

